Kirkuk
Kirkuk
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%22%3E%3Ctext%20x%3D%2250%25%22%20y%3D%2250%25%22%20text-anchor%3D%22middle%22%20dominant-baseline%3D%22middle%22%20fill%3D%22%2354595d%22%20font-size%3D%2216%22%20font-family%3D%22sans-serif%22%3EKirkuk%20is%20located%20in%20Iraq%3C%2Ftext%3E%3C%2Fg%3E%3C%2Fsvg%3E)  Kirkuk Location within Iraq | |
| Coordinates: 35°28′0″N 44°19′0″E / 35.46667°N 44.31667°E | |
| Country |  Iraq |
| Governorate | Kirkuk |
| District | Kirkuk |
| Elevation | 350 m (1,150 ft) |
| Population (2024) | |
• Total | 1,249,197 |
| Time zone | GMT +3 |
settlement_type. Replace with type.timezone. Replace with time_zone.pushpin_mapsize. Replace with pushpin_map_size.pushpin_map_caption. Replace with pushpin_caption.image_caption. Replace with caption.image_skyline. Replace with image.Kirkuk (Arabic: كركوك, romanized: Kirkūk; Kurdish: کەرکووک, romanized: Kerkûk; Syriac: ܟܪܟܘܟ, romanized: Kerkouk; Turkish: Kerkük) is a major city in northern Iraq, serving as the capital of the Kirkuk Governorate. The city is home to a diverse population of Kurds, Iraqi Turkmens and Arabs. Kirkuk sits on the ruins of the original Kirkuk Citadel which sits near the Khasa River.
Due to its diverse population, shaped by various forms of demographic engineering such as Arabization, the status of Kirkuk is highly contested and has led to recurring disputes. Jalal Talabani described Kirkuk as "the Jerusalem of Kurdistan," emphasizing its central symbolic and political importance to Kurds, while the government of Iraq has instead portrayed the city as a "small version of Iraq," presenting it as a model for coexistence among the country’s diverse communities. Turkmen, meanwhile, regard Kirkuk as a historic city of theirs. Following the adoption of the 2005 Iraqi Constitution, Kirkuk was designated a disputed territory under Article 140, requiring normalization of demographics, a census, and a referendum to decide whether it belongs to the Kurdistan Region or remains under Iraqi authority. Intended to be completed by 2007, the process remains unresolved, leaving the city's status in limbo.